Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Bevery Magid in Press, Review

When it comes to Jewish lives and immigration, the only event that dares to pop up is Holocaust. I’m not against Holocaust novels, but often times I wish to see more aspects beyond that event to be represented in Jewish fiction, and this book is an answer to my prayer. I’ve previously read Jews without Money by Michael Gold and while I enjoyed it, the story of immigration in there was nothing but despair; people try, people fail to make something of themselves and have to return to old roots. In this story, while its drawn realistically, there is also hope for Leah’s future, that she will amount to something more than the requirements of her day. It’s also relief that despite the monotony and hardship, Leah and her family enjoy the moments of daily life be it picnics, weddings, courting or just being together in the new land. A beautiful and poignant story of an all too forgotten history of Jewish immigrants.

Beverly Magid

Beverly's background was in publicity and journalism, but now it's writing novels. Historical fiction mostly, female protagonist, ordinary women in extraordinary situations. The new book, Where Do I Go, will focus on Leah Peretz in 1908,on the Lower East Side, fighting the horrors of garment sweat shops. Exciting female empowerment!

Beverly Magid

Who would have believed I started writing poetry? Not me. Not since high school. Then, I didn’t know how to translate feelings into any other form. Nothing good, but full of emotion. Now after a couple of courses with Jack Grapes and his Method of Writing classes, I, with a little encouragement, have realized that I don’t have to wait for a novel to formulate in my head, that I can express myself in any manner I so choose. It’s been very freeing and most satisfying. I encourage everyone to just break free and let your imagination soar. You can figure out later what to do with it with as many drafts that are necessary. In the meantime, just fly.

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Beverly Magid

A trip not only opens your eyes to the beauty in the world but also our connection to the land, to the strangers who inhabit it, who soon become friends, to the fragile yet strong tie that connects us all. A trip to Alaska in the most glorious fall colors time, which everyone kept exclaiming was unusual and perfect re-inspired me to the friendship of people around the globe and the glory of nature. Undeveloped spaces still exist and people still want to reach across the divide (albeit not in Wash.DC) so it gives me hope that we might survive the chaos occurring today.
PS if you’re in Los Angeles come to my Author’s Talk at the Sherman Oaks LIbrary on Moorpark October 1 at 6:30pm. I’ll be discussing my current novel WHERE DO I GO, and the challenges which faced immigrants in the early 1900’s in New York City.

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Beverly Magid

A real slump, that’s what Trump has done to my writing. I keep looking for some idea that will light my passion, carry me through the dark days and starless nights. A book requires more than a fleeting spark, it needs a steady conflagration that lifts you up and keeps you moving. Not giving up but still happy that the third novel, WHERE DO I GO, kept me going even after two major accidents.

Hope you all got your copy, it’s about a woman who didn’t give up either.

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Beverly Magid

I kept thinking that I would come up with another idea which would hopefully blossom into a story that then evolved into a novel. But that was before kids were ripped away from their parents, migrants were described as infesting our country, SCOTUS upheld a travel ban, downgraded unions, refused to rule on gerrymandering, Congress refusing to curb the President’s power which could lead to a possible disintegration of our democracy, and that is only a few of our current calamities. My stomach is in knots and my brain is fried. Fiction will have to wait until I can concentrate on made up stories versus real life chaos. The midterms is my obsession right now and working to flip the Congress and now stop confirmation of any of Trump’s Court nominee.

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Beverly Magid

Do other writers have the same problem? I’ve written my novel, launched it, watch it go up and down in sales, get a great response from reviewers and readers and now - nothing. I feel like an empty vessel. Nothing more to say, at least in the world of story telling. I know all the self-help motivations, but at the moment, they don’t feel as though they apply.

Maybe three is my lucky number, three books is not a bad report to leave behind, but not doing research, not having every waking moment taken up with figuring out characters, their lives, problems, hopefully solutions, it all seems too strange. Maybe I have to make me one of my characters, in the novel of my life and an answer will eventually be illuminated.

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Beverly Magid

For the last month I’ve been volunteering in the most fun program called Young Story Tellers for kids in an elementary school. I’m partnered with a young girl and my job is to encourage and mentor her to create a five page script from her own original story which will be performed as part of an assembly program with real actors. These kids come up with amazing stories, the boys seem to be captivated by video game scenarios but my girl has a complicated story with twin princes and princesses, a witch lady and a difficult curse to overcome. My going from novels to script mentoring has been fun.

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